Jewel Roughed as Market Moves for Sinclair

It was just a few days ago we told you that demolition crews were poised to take a bite out of the former Jewel-Osco supermarket at 1200 North Clark Street. Well, they’re certainly not wasting any time.

Gold Coast Spy Joelhit the ol’ tip line with the photo above showing how quickly it’s possible to turn a grocery store into a cleanup on aisle infinity. Those wide column-free spans aren’t just good for late-night grocery sports (frozen turkey with handle + 10 Pepsi bottles = turkey bowling), they don’t seem to put up much of a fight against the red menace now taking the building apart.

Once flattened and cleared, Fifield Companies has commissioned a brand new SCB-designed Jewel-Osco, with an attached 35-story residential tower. It is described by the developer thusly:

The Sinclair is a 390 unit luxury apartment tower located in the vibrant Gold Coast neighborhood. Opening in Summer 2017, this 35-story building will offer sweeping views of Downtown Chicago and unparalleled access to fine dining, the Lakefront trail, Oak Street beach, and luxury retailers on the Magnificent Mile. The Sinclair’s premier community amenities will include a state of the art fitness club with yoga studio, cinema and party rooms for hosting, a resident lounge, game room, and the largest outdoor amenity deck in the neighborhood with a pool and spa, intimate seating areas, grill center, fire pit, and dog run. Interior finishes will include quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, plank flooring throughout, large windows, spa-inspired bathrooms, and washer and dryer in every unit. As part of the project, Fifield will build an improved and expanded Jewel grocery store directly next to the building, which will offer residents the convenience of a 24–hour grocery and pharmacy at their front door.

While we think it’s awesome that a developer would name a building after one of Chicago’s most prominent literary figures, we’re not entirely sure Upton Sinclair is exactly the person we want to think about when heading to the meat counter.